The 2014 Aviva Community Fund is complete.

Explorers Club

ACF15416•Merritt Youth & Family Resources Society•Merritt, BC

Created October&nbsp15,&nbsp2012 by MYFRS

Location

Merritt, BC

Funding Level

$100k - 150k (< 2014)

Community Size

More than 1,000

Overview

OBJECTIVE:
To develop an
Explorers Club for at risk boys and girls, ages 7 – 12 years. Create a creative opportunity for low income
or minority groups so their child (ren) are able to access free youth
activities.
GOALS:
To establish a free fun activity
and educational preventive program to keep at risk children of low income or
minority groups off the street before they get there. To provide a atmosphere that promotes wanting
to learn thereby encouraging children in their formal educational
endeavors..
THE
PROGRAM:
The Explorers
Club will work towards building literacy, social and physical achievements and
motivation. It will address the social and behavioral expectations that can
play a role in the gender differences in literacy achievements or disconnect
between the schools and parent expectations. The learning modules that will be
developed will reflect the 40 developmental assets for youth success in coping
in today's environment (http://www.search-institute.org/system/files/40Assets_MC_0.pdf). The outreach
of this program will be at the individual, family, school, agencies, and
community levels. All society, cultural
and genders will be able to access the Club. EXPLORERS CLUB ACTIVITIES:
Finding your explorer - geocaching, nature,
bugs, spy, animal, look up in the sky
Creative style -
jewelry, containers, homemade paper, recipes
Theatre &
story making
Self discovery -
personality colors dimension, brain gym
Explore culture
- food, language, and lifestyle
Explore history
7 the world - myth vs. truth, differences and similarities with different
parts of the world
Everyday
etiquette - past vs. present
What is a leader
- mentoring and learning with elders
Puzzles &
quiz games developed by the youth
Scavenger hunts
- developing their own with maps, items or even Archaeology digs
Computers - safe use
Cool science experiments and
tricks
Plus activities the youth will suggest.
NEEDS ASSESSMENT:
Challenges faced
by youth know NO boundaries in a rural community. As we were setting up other
programs having our involvement we recognized from the communications from both
agencies and parents the gap in services for our 7-12 age groups. Our
demographics show high levels of low income, low education - 38% no certificate or diploma, 19%
high school or equivalent = 57% of working population and does not include stay at home parent(s),
and limited resources (http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/SocialStatistics/CommunityFacts.aspx). There are
some seasonal activities for a cost available that limits opportunity for these
youth and their family in being able to access. There is no Boys and Girls club
unless one travels out of the
area.
AGENCY AND PARTICIPANT NEEDS:
To implement the
Club will need activity leaders plus 2 workers, a physical site, a program
specific vehicle as transportation is a major obstacle for access programs,
insurance, supplies, furniture,
computers, and activity equipment. Development can begin for training
modules, promotion, partnerships, accessing new resources and implementing for
a December 2013 start on approval of the Aviva funding. We have started searching for an appropriate
site and, as we have prior experience, know the methodology to promote &
inform to the parents and school
system.SUSTAINABILITY:
The AVIVA grant
will assist in the start of the program that will be maintained by utilizing
the community resources (i.e. assets
committee, city & leisure facilities coordinators, donations,
community buy in and agency partnerships).
We have implemented
other pilot projects for youth which are still active. Started by our agency
the Teen Moms program and the Literacy program continue under the management of
the school district. A special needs girls group now has government
funding. We currently have a boys special needs group pilot project which
has received funding from autism & children with special needs grant. For
early years there is the Success by Six and strong start programs, for the 13-18
age group there is the smart step ( http://www.smartstepyouth.org/merritt-youth-council.html) and our teen
centre and band teen programs. Merritt Youth and Family Resources Society have
been providing family support for 34 years in the Nicola Valley
/ Merritt area. The increase in services we have been able to provide over the
years relates to opportunities like the Aviva Community Grant.